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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread


Our family has tried really hard to rid hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrups out of our diet.  Every now and then, we still have something with it in it...but I'm still not happy about it when it happens.  ;-)  Unfortunately, they put that junk in so many items that you would never think of.  One of those items is bread.  If your family is anything like ours, you go through a lot of bread.  My 4 year old asks for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches 3 meals a day.  He doesn't get it, but he asks.  My 6 year old takes a sandwich almost every day to school.  My husband eats sandwiches at lunch while he's at work.  I think you get the picture.  There's a lot of bread being eaten at my house.  With all of that bread, that's a lot of high fructose corn syrup.  *Bleck!*  I know that you can buy preservative & corn syrup free bread at the store, but it's not cheap!  So, being that I'm kind of a cheap person (the truth hurts) I decided to make my own!  

I'm afraid I can't really credit this recipe to anyone.  I have adapted it from multiple sources.  There's probably 100 other recipes just like it...but I don't know what they are.  The fun thing about it is that you can do anything to it to make it your own.  =)  Feel free to take out ingredients, add to it if you like, or even adjust the flour ratios.

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread - Yields 2 loaves
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour    
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp yeast
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted (if using salted butter, omit 1 tsp salt)
1/4 cup honey
1 1/4 cups warm milk or water  (105°F)
Optional:
1/4 cup ground wheat germ
1/4 cup flax seeds

In large bowl or mixer bowl, stir warm milk (or water), melted butter, honey, and yeast.  Allow to sit about 5 minutes or until mixture is foamy. Add flours, salt, and optional ingredients.  Knead mixture by hand on a floured surface for 5-10 minutes or in a stand mixer for about 5 minutes until dough is soft and pliable.  If it is too sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time.  If it is too dry, add a teaspoon of milk or water at a time.  The proportions may vary depending on your climate.

Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl then flip the dough bottom side up to lightly coat the dough with oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp dish towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.  If your home is too cold, you can turn your oven on for 1 minute then turn it off and place the bowl in the oven.

Remove dough from bowl and divide it in half.  Roll each half into a rectangle about 10" x 14".  Starting with the 10" side, roll the dough up, pinching together as you go to make a log.  Pinch all seams together with moist fingers.  Fold ends under and place dough seams down in a well greased bread pan.  Cover pans loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise for another 30 minutes.  

Bake in preheated 400°F oven for about 25 minutes.  Remove from pans and place on a cooling rack.  Allow bread to cool completely before slicing.       

Enjoy!!!






12 comments:

  1. That loaf of bread looks fantastic. I'm definitely thinking of giving this a try.

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  2. Your loaf looks amazing...and yeah, my youngest would eat pb&j sammiches for every meal if I let him. Ha!! Thanks so much for sharing this w/ the hearth and soul hop this week.

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  3. Though I've never attempted to make homemade bread, it's THE BEST!! I love it when my grandma makes it, smells so good and tastes so delish! Someday I hope to venture out and give homemade bread a try!

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  4. Cudos to you... The smell of fresh baked bread is the best.
    Another friday's favorite for sure :-)

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  5. Your recipe looks perfect! I tried 100% whole wheat twice (over a few years) and yech - it was a nice treat for the birds as no humans could eat it. I like your balance of flours in your bread. Thanks for sharing with the Decidedly Healthy or Horridly Decadent 'from scratch' recipe hop.

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  6. I'm trying to cut the bread out of my diet and I have to say.....you're not helping! :-) Your loaf looks fantastic and thanks for sharing at the hearth and soul hop this week.

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  7. It looks so good. I have been trying to get rid of HFCS from all our foods too, but for some reason I never looked at the bread label that close. Thanks for the tip. My husband eats PB&J almost every single day since we have been married, 32 years! And when my kids were little I think they ate it 6 times a day, 'cause they went from one friends to another's and all the moms would feed all of the kids and send them on their way. Little scammers!

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  8. I love to make bread...yum! New follower on blog, FB and twitter!

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  9. I have never made bread, but we go through a lot, and I am very anti-high fructose corn syrup and such! I will definitely be trying this recipe :) And the yummy looking cinnamon rolls!!

    Found you from a link by your SIL's blog :)

    -Tiffany
    of
    Will Write 4 Food
    http://tiffanywillwrite4food.blogspot.com

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  10. Thanks y'all! I hope you all enjoy it. Please report back after you try it. I's love to hear what y'all think!

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  11. I want to testify to everyone on how my husband and i got children after our 5 years of marriage. we got married and we could not conceive a child we have been to several hospitals for checking and the doctors always say that we are okay that nothing is wrong with us, we have been hoping for a child, my husband was beginning to keep late night outside and pressure from the family for him to marry another wife and divorce me, i was always crying and weeping because i was loosing my marriage. so i visited my friend in Florida and she told me that she also have been through this same situation but she got her help of getting pregnant from a Herbal Doctor of fertility,, so she told me that she will connect me to the Herbal Doctor and he will prepare a FERTILITY HERBAL SOAP for me to have my own child, i spent 4days with her in Florida and we both email the Herbal Doctor and he said i should bring all my information to him and he said in 3days the Fertility soap will be prepared and he will send/ship it to me through UPS, after I used it as he instructed, so i waited and i went back made love with my husband and i conceive. so i am very grateful to the Herbal Doctor for his help and miracle that help me save my marriage. please for same help getting pregnant, contact him on zicoherbalhome@gmail.com

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